Vehicles of the automotive or truck type conventionally include an engine compartment in which the vehicle engine is mounted, and a compartment panel is mounted on the vehicle for movement between open and closed positions with respect to an opening of the compartment to selectively allow access to the compartment and the engine. Most automotive type vehicles also include a luggage compartment likewise opened and closed by a compartment panel mounted on the vehicle. Generally, a primary latch mechanism is used to secure the compartment panel in closed position upon movement thereto and is selectively actuated to unlatch the compartment panel for opening movement. An auxiliary latch mechanism may also be incorporated to provide a secondary latching of the compartment panel in closed position upon movement thereto. The auxiliary latch mechanism is likewise actuated to release the compartment panel for opening movement either concomitantly with the actuation of the primary latch mechanism or through a second manual releasing actuation. Many different types of primary and secondary latch mechanisms of the type which latch upon closing compartment panel movement have been disclosed by the prior art.
Current production vehicles also incorporate energy absorbing bumpers mounted for movement from an extended position toward a retracted position in an energy absorbing mode to dissipate energy when the bumper engages an obstacle. For the most part, the bumpers are supported for this energy absorbing movement by piston and cylinder arrangements in a telescoping fashion with the retraction of these arrangements causing the energy absorption as the bumper moves inwardly toward the center of the vehicle to the retracted position from the extended position.